Thread guide unit



R. M. TORRENCE THREAD GUIDE UNIT Filed 001;. "I. 1960 2 I l I as 8 9 959 8 9 8 s 9 FIG. I. FIG. 2.

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3,045,754 Patented July 31, 1 952 3,046,764 THREAD GUEE UNIT Ronald M. Terrence, Torrington, Conn., assignor to The Torrington ilompany, Torrington, Conn., a corporation of Maine Filed Oct. 7, 1%0, Ser. No. 61,235

Claims. ((31. 66-86) The following specification relates to a novel thread guide unit for machine knitting needles. It is intended to replace the usual units which are assembled in banks on a warp knitting machine.

The thread guide units assembled on knitting machines move with great rapidity during the knitting operation. As assembled the aggregate weight is considerable and consequently the power requirements of the machine are substantial. Thread guide means of the type used in warp knitting machines have as many as 32 guide bars. Each guide bar extends the length of the machine and forms the mounting for the guide units of this invention. Behind the front bar are other rows of guide bars. Parallel thread guides are provided in each guide unit and are held in parallel arrangement by a body of lead or other alloy solidly cast around the guides and extending in a single mass from the rear of the guides to within a short distance of the free ends of the guides- In this way the lead body obscures the rear rows of guides. This makes it extremely difficult for the operator to locate machine difiiculties in the bars behind the front one; to re-thread broken threads of yarn on the rear units, readjust guide-needle clearance and correct other malfunctions which may occur.

The presently designed guide unit allows increased visibility between the wider spaced long guides, so that the operator may spot machine difliculties in the rear guides, re-thread broken ends and otherwise adjust the equipment.

It is an object of this invention to improve the thread guide units by efiecting a material reduction in weight of the individual units, whether constructed of the usual soft metal such as lead, or in some forms using synthetic plastics.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the number of thread guides which extend for the full length. This will permit easy visibility through the most forward thread guides. It will also permit access through the front guide units to the rear ones in case the latter require inspection, adjustment or replacement.

As an incident of the invention a purpose will be found in the material reduction of parts.

A still further object of the invention will be to redesign certain of the thread guides so that strength and rigidity may he maintained, even though fewer such guides are used.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious or will appear from the following description of the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one of the improved thread guide units;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the unit and FIG. 4 is a partial vertical cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

The unit includes a holder 6 of the usual form. It may be made of soft metal such as lead or the like, or

' alternatively may be formed from a thermoplastic ma terial which can be molded in the desired form. This holder has the usual transverse opening 7 by which the unit is bolted to the reciprocating bar which supports the entire bank of such units.

A series of long thread guides 8 are castor molded in place in the holder 6. In casting these in place, the bottom surface of the holder may be practically in the plane of the lower edges of the guides 3, so that the latter will be held in place with a minimum amount of metal. The ends of the guides may in fact be partially exposed on the bottom surface of the holder 6, as indicated on FIG. 2.

The long guides 8 are widely separated to form an open grid through which the operator may inspect the guide unit in rear position and make necessary adjustments. several similar guides may be arranged between adjacent guides 8 to form an even comb of guides.

Such an arrangement is shown at the free ends of the guides 8. Thus intermediate guides of lesser length 9 are spaced evenly between adjacent long guides 8.

The inner ends of the short guides 9 are cast into position and firmly attached to an intermediate point along the long guides 8, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus the end guides 8 are separated by a distance which will accommodate three short guides 9. While the same spacing may be used between the adjacent inner guides 8, the spacing shown in FIG. 1 has been selected to provide for the insertion of two short guides 9 between ad jacent inner long guides 8.

A crossbar 10 is cast of soft metal, thermoplastic or the like, connecting the long guides 8 at a point more than half the distance by which the latter project beyond the holder 6.

The crossbar ;10 also serves to anchor the inner ends of the guides 9 in definite spacing and parallel to the free ends of the long guides 8.

The guides 8 are substantially fiat in cross-section except that their edges are curved as shown in FIG. 4. Added rigidity for the portions of the long guides between the holder 6 and the crossbar 10 may also be provided by making these portions of the guides thicker or heavier than the portions extending beyond the crossbar 10.

It is found that the grid formed by the relatively fewer long guides 8 is sufiiciently rigid and in fact equals that which would result from extending all of the bars 9 back to anchoragein the holder 6.

Limiting the comb of combined guides 8 and 9 to the portion which projects beyond the crossbar 10 is a material reduction in weigh over the conventional form in which all guides are of equal length and extend from the holder 6.

Due to the reduction in weight, corresponding reduction in other requirements exist, and consequently there is less wear and tear on the machine or generated heat.

The open grid construction of the area between the holder 6 and the crossbar 10 has evident advantages in providing greater visibility and accessibility.

While the preferred form of the invention has been described, numerous changes in minor details of material, proportions and relationships are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A thread guide unit for a warp knitting machine comprising a holder, a pluralityof long thread guides anchored in parallel separated relation in the holder, a plurality of relatively shorter thread guides equally spaced 'between and in alignment with the ends of the long guides and a crossbar connecting the rear ends of the short guides and the adjacent parts of the long guides.

2. A thread guide unit for a warp knitting machine comprising a'holder, a plurality of long thread guides anchored in parallel separated relation in the holder, a

plurality of relatively shorter thread guidesarranged in.

The spacing of the long guides 8 is such that anchored in the holder and the crossbar to form an open grid, the said guides projecting beyond the crossbar andv a plurality of relatively shorter guides arranged in groups on the crossbar and evenly spaced between the projecting ends of the long guides.

4. A thread guide unit for a warp knitting machine comprising a holder, a plurality of long thread guides, anchored in parallel separated 'relationin the holder, a transverse rib on the edge of the holder fromwhich the guides project, a plurality of relatively shorter thread;

guides arranged in groups of twoor more between and in alignment with the ends of adjacent long guides and a Y crossbar connecting the rear ends of the short guides with the adjacent parts of the. long g ides.

5. A thread guide unit for a warp knitting machine comprising a holder, -a plurality of long thread. guides anchored in parallel separated relation in the holder, at

plurality of relatively shorter thread guides equally spaced between and in alignment with the ends of the long guides t and a crossbar connecting therear ends of the short guides and the adjacent parts of the long guides, said long guides beyond the crossbar having the same cross a section as the short guides 'but beingof greater crosssection between the holder and the crossbar.

References Cited in the file of this patent; i

"UNITED STATES'PATENTS' i 2,022,448

Wirth Nov. 26; 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS. 616,796 7 Germany Aug. '5,- 1935 

